Power Station A

The two-story brick power station located at 458 Grand Avenue in Fair Haven was built around the turn of the 19th century. The structure seen today is comprised of multiple connected buildings that were added on later as operations scaled up. The original 50-foot by 75-foot block facing Grand Ave. was constructed around 1901, with another brick engine room added in 1924. This building, named Power Station A, provided electricity to the local streetcar lines for the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad Company. Both companies would later be absorbed into the Consolidated Street Railway Company, a subsidiary of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad. The Connecticut Company, as it was later called, utilized Power Station A continuously until 1950 as the streetcars of New Haven were replaced by the autobus. Power Station A housed ten upright boilers and three 500-volt generators that provided the electricity via steam power. Though no longer a providing electricity Power Station A is still utilized as a leasable commercial space and warehouse.

Where did all those trolleys powered by Station A go after hours when the thrum of the current in the lines stopped for the night? The answer is the James Street Car Barn, the fourth and next stop on this audio tour. Get there by proceeding west on Grand Avenue. Turn right on East Street and proceed under the interstate overpass. Turn right on State Street, pass beneath the interstate (again), and park on James Street or in the U-Haul parking lot. If you're using GPS, the address is 1175 State Street, New Haven, CT.

Research courtesy of Yale University Urban Media Project "Off the Rails" and Preservation Connecticut